World Para Taekwondo Newsletter
October 2020 | Issue #4
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Stay Fit, Stay Safe, Stay Educated
With the sports world still battling the fallout of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a return to international competition is not yet imminent.
While some of our member national associations (MNAs) have cautiously returned to national competitions – we highlight Slovakia’s return-to-play in this month’s ‘Around the World’ section – others have focused on providing support for their Para Taekwondo practitioners – like Ghana and Ukraine (also featured in this month’s ‘Around the World’).
World Para Taekwondo has spent this time focusing on providing resources to MNAs to educate, engage, and accredit members of the Para Taekwondo community, including coaches, national classifiers, and referees. These well-received courses aim to increase the knowledge and understanding of our sport by practitioners worldwide.
So far, WPT's Coach Course saw 132 coaches from over 38 countries attend Level 1. Levels 2 and 3 will be offered at a later date.
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World Para Taekwondo also hosted several National Classifier Courses. To date, 18 classifiers from 17 countries passed Level 1, with 10 more classifiers registered for the next offering. Advanced levels will be announced at a later date.
Be sure to check out this month’s ‘Getting Started’ for more information on what courses are available and be sure to register for any upcoming courses of interest.
So, until we meet again at our next international competition, we encourage you to stay fit, stay safe, and stay educated.
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Upcoming Courses Registration Information |
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World Para Taekwondo Coach Certification Course - Level 1
- Dates: 9 October - 11 October 2020
- Registration Deadline: 6 Oct 2020, 11:59:PM (GMT+10:00 Australia/Sydney)
This course is mandatory for all coaches officiating at World Para Taekwondo promoted and recognized competitions from January 1, 2021 and is valid for two years.
World Para Taekwondo National Classifier Certification Course -Level 1
- Dates: 6 October - 7 October 2020.
- Registration Deadline: 3 Oct 2020, 11:59:PM (GMT+08:00 Asia/Beijing)
- Dates: 9 October - 11 October 2020
- Registration Deadline: 6 Oct 2020, 11:59:PM (GMT+10:00 Australia/Sydney)
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Ad-Hoc Para Taekwondo Poomsae Committee |
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In another sign pointing to the rapid growth of Para Taekwondo, World Taekwondo has announced the formation of an Ad-Hoc Para Taekwondo Poomsae Committee to assist with the development of the sport for athletes of all impairment types. Specifically, the committee will be tasked with:
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Studying and developing the adaptation of Poomsae to different impairment types;
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Reviewing rules to ensure fair and transparent rules for all Poomsae Sport Classes;
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Researching and developing a method for a World Para Taekwondo Poomsae ranking;
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Studying new Para Taekwondo Poomsae competition formats (ex. Pairs, Team, Freestyle, etc.); and
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Assisting in the promotion of Para Taekwondo Poomsae.
Committee members are presented below.
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Mustapha Moutarazak
Chair
Netherlands
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Luciano Mazzeo
Member
Aruba
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Said Khelwatty
Vice Chair
Great Britain
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Nadezhda Petrova
Member
Russia
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Getting Started: Get Educated
In past newsletters, we have looked at how to organise a MNA, how to find contacts and partner organisations, and how to find athletes. This month, we look at how to educate your Para Taekwondo community.
Once you have an organisational structure, contacts, and athletes, you will need to ensure that you continuously develop your instructors, classifiers, coaches, and athletes. To do this, you will need to attain knowledge in several areas to make sure you can provide the best possible supports to persons with impairments – regardless if they are practicing Taekwondo for the first time or are aiming for the Paralympic Games.
World Para Taekwondo Promotion Test Rules
World Para Taekwondo has developed Promotion Test Rules for Para Taekwondo. The curriculum will help you set-up a training programme for your Para Taekwondo athletes. Courses for promotion test examiners and instructors will be available shortly.
Para Taekwondo Coach’s Course
World Para Taekwondo has developed a programme for Para Taekwondo coaches. The curriculum covers everything from the history of Para Taekwondo to rules and bylaws to ethics, psychology, and anti-doping. The programme consists of three levels of courses.
Remember - starting in 2021, the Coach's Course - Level 1 will be mandatory for all coaches coaching at international events.
National Classifier Course
World Para Taekwondo has developed a course for your Para Taekwondo classifiers. The class covers things like athlete evaluation, overviews of the different sport classes and eligibility, and how to fill out the medical diagnostic form and register your athletes in the World Taekwondo Classification System (WTCS).
Other Educational Opportunities
From time to time, other issue-specific seminars, conferences, or courses are offered by World Taekwondo. Be sure to read each monthly issue of the World Para Taekwondo newsletter for the most up-to-date information, follow World Para Taekwondo on Facebook, or check the World Taekwondo website at worldtaekwondo.org.
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Para Taekwondo Around the World |
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Africa:
Ghanaian Government Supports Para Taekwondo Athletes
In a sign of just how far Para Taekwondo has come in Ghana, the Ghanaian government has awarded nine Para Taekwondo athletes a monthly stipend of 500 GHC (~ $85) as part of a COVID-19 stimulus package. Ghana made its Para Taekwondo debut just five years ago – at the 2015 World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Ghanaian athletes have also participated in every African Championships and at the African Paralympic qualification tournament earlier this year.
Sports events have been banned in Ghana since the onset of the pandemic, closing all gyms in the country. With a limited profile in the country, Para athletes face many challenges in Ghana. So, this stipend should go a long way in finding new ways to train. Athletes were selected based on several criteria, including unemployment and sufficient national Taekwondo ranking, and will receive the stipend through the end of January 2021.
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Europe:
Slovakia Returns-to-Play & Attracts Paralympic Hero
Slovak Para Taekwondo athletes participated in a Para Taekwondo training camp at the end of August. Participants improved their Poomsae skills, their agility and kicking, and even had the chance to test for the Slovak National League, which was held at the same time. It was the first event organised by the Slovak Taekwondo Association (STA) since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world in February. The STA plans to hold the Cassovia Open and Slovak Hanmadang Festival in October, should the pandemic situation remain stable.
Slovakia had just one registered Para Taekwondo athlete in 2017 – Roman Farkas from the Falcon Rimavska Sobota club. Today, thanks to the generous support of the Slovak Paralympic Committee and Slovak Taekwondo Association, Slovakia boasts 5 Para-friendly clubs and nearly 30 Para Taekwondo athletes. In fact, Slovak Para Alpine Skiing legend Martin France recently crossed over to the world of Para Taekwondo. The four-time Winter Paralympian initially picked up the sport to stay in shape, but soon discovered the beauty of Para Taekwondo and recently completed his yellow belt exam. The STA hopes he can better his best skiing result – a 4th place finish in the Giant Slalom at the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
For more information, please visit Paralympic.org/martin-france.
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Ukrainian City Votes to Buy Apartment for 6-Time World Champion Vika Marchuk
Last week, the City of Zaporizhia in Eastern Ukraine - home to 6-time world champion Vika Marchuk - voted to purchase the star athlete her very own apartment. It was the culmination of several years of advocacy from several non-profit groups and news agencies, who highlighted the squalid conditions that she has had to live in while continuing to produce some of Ukraine's finest Para performances.
One of Para Taekwondo's first champions and international stars, Marchuk has already qualified for the 2020ne Paralympic Games as the No. 1-ranked fighter in the women's up to 49 kg K43 division. Now eight years into her storied career, the experienced fighter showed she's still at the top of her game with a dominant 2019 European championship where she set a record for most points in a fight with a 72-2 semifinal win. Citing her previous accomplishments, and the opportunity for her to become Paralympic champion next summer, the City voted in favour of setting aside funds to purchase an apartment for the 5-time European champion.
For more information, check out this news video (Ukrainian language): please click here.
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Para Taekwondo Classification Committee |
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Chakir Chelbat
Para Taekwondo Committee
Chair
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Usman Dildar
Para Taekwondo Committee
Vice Chair
&
Games Chair
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Terrie Moore
Para Taekwondo Classification Committee
Chair
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Joan Hacken
Para Taekwondo Classification Committee
Vice Chair
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Amine Khelladi
Para Taekwondo Committee
Member
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David O'Sullivan
Para Taekwondo Classification Committee
Member
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Sookyung Park
Para Taekwondo Committee
Member
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Judith Cameron
Para Taekwondo Classification Committee
Member
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Marck Harb
Para Taekwondo Committee
Member
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Primoz Rus
Para Taekwondo Classification Committee
Member
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World Para Taekwondo Staff |
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Olof Hansson
Director
Para Taekwondo
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Thomas Page
Assistant Manager
Para Taekwondo
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